Wise Decisions

Chapter 9High‐Performance Training for Parents: Y.O.D.A. for Teens

Being a young person in today's day and age is as stressful and challenging as almost any time in recent history. Navigating the social landscape in the context of COVID‐19, surging hormones, cognitive impulsivity, and self‐conscious developmental awkwardness clearly presents an exceedingly slippery slope for parents of teens.

When we factor in the ubiquitous and addictive nature of screens and social media, as habit forming as illicit drugs or gambling, the constant uploading of anxiety‐provoking messages related to social inclusion and perfection, combined with verbal and nonverbal messages from parents and teachers related to high performance and achievement, it's clear that this is not a recipe for sustained healthy adolescent development!

What's also clear is that protecting our children's mental health and mind‐body well‐being by strengthening their Y.O.D.A. has never been more important than it is today.

Parenting during adolescence requires a markedly different skill set than that required during the early years of development. Your teen is well past the high chair, rapidly growing into their independence, expressing their individuality in unique and colorful ways. They are now fully verbal and using their language skills in ways that at times feel like a blessing and others like a curse.

This brand‐new communication landscape for parents and teens is laden with joy and angst, productivity and pitfalls, ...